August 9 2024, Letter 7: Let’s revive our small towns through agriculture and agritourism
Having spent a week in the Karoo among farmers, attending meetings and interacting with market agents, it would be fair for me to say this region is one of the most in need of agritourism promotion.
The region has much to offer — great cuisine, landscapes and history, and agritourism would also be a lifeline for some regions that previously relied on railway activities. There is now reduced economic activity, thus unemployment is rife, leaving some towns exposed to potential instability.
In the case of farmers, they do their part and create jobs. Therefore, proper marketing of the unique and premium Karoo Lamb that most produce would bring much-needed revenue, which could be reinvested in the farms and, ultimately, bring increased economic activity and more jobs.
The marketing of Karoo Lamb requires societal support and should be viewed as South African heritage food. This means that as we shop at our various retailers we should ask about Karoo Lamb, as well as great South African wine and fruits, and our other quality regional foods.
Restaurants should also do their part and stop marketing any lamb as the Karoo variety when they haven't bought it from a certified abattoir or supplier.
Municipalities, particularly in the Northern Cape side of the Karoo region, must do their part in beautifying towns, keeping them clean and fixing municipal refuse dumps. Investing in proper recycling will help to create valuable income for the poor and job opportunities for locals. Importantly, when people drive across the country and notice the cleanliness, beauty and care given to these towns, they may stop and spend money or even think of investing in such towns.
The provincial government also has a vital role in improving the road networks and ensuring that municipalities function effectively. This is vital in ensuring the success of tourism in the province. The issue of crime also needs a constant eye to ensure the safety of these towns. When towns are carefully maintained, roads are constantly fixed and crime is low, economic activity will recover over time.
To support meaningfully the broader Karoo region and its people, the first step is to buy their quality products
We can all agree that the small towns of the Karoo are microcosms of the bigger towns, with the same problems besetting municipalities across South Africa. Perhaps the neglect of infrastructure in other towns is even more stark. Here I think of my home province, the Eastern Cape, where we read regularly about corruption. At the same time, we know that for some villagers in the province, life has not improved much, at least in terms of connectivity, roads, water infrastructure and safety.
Agritourism and tourism in its entirety will not improve much and yield greater economic benefits for the Eastern Cape if such neglect continues. I am bringing up the Eastern Cape issue here because, as I drove through some small towns in the Karoo and saw a sense of hopelessness and despair in the streets among the unemployed, I could recognise those difficulties from the Eastern Cape. The issue of failing and weak municipalities is a nationwide challenge in particularly the North West, Free State and Gauteng.
Properly functioning municipalities and roads are vital for the farming sector — these are the linkages to markets and routes used to bring various inputs to farms and across agribusinesses. The inadequacies lead to increased transaction costs and weigh on multiple businesses and, ultimately, job creation. I know of dairy farms in the Eastern Cape that bleed cost-wise because of the poor roads and water infrastructure and the failure of the local government to improve them after several attempts to engage them.
Therefore to support meaningfully the broader Karoo region and its people, the first step is to buy their quality products. The second part lies with the regulators ensuring they keep an eye on food fraud in restaurants and other outlets that inappropriately market their products as Karoo Lamb, misleading consumers. More importantly, the provincial and local governments should consistently improve the road and water infrastructure, keep the towns clean and deal with crime.
This approach must apply across all small towns of South Africa. Our country has many opportunities — let’s embrace them and consistently build our communities.
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